Piper PA-32-260 N2259T

Summary

On 15 May 1992 at about 10:39 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N2259T, operated by Marshburn, Thomas E., was involved in an accident near Greenville, North Carolina, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 1992 at 10:39

Classification

Accident

Location

Greenville, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Pitt-Greenville (PGV)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-260

Registration

N2259T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Marshburn, Thomas E.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Savannah

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

ATL92FA102

6 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN A PROPER CLIMB RATE AFTER TAKEOFF AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE TO MAKE THE FLIGHT, AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD STATED TO A FORMER INSTRUCTOR THAT HE NEEDED THE INSTRUMENT RATING TO AVOID GETTING STUCK ON TRIPS. FURTHER, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS FAMILY & FRIENDS WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED, IF THIS TRIP WAS CANCELLED OR DELAYED. AT 0621 EDT, THE WEATHER WAS, IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED, CEILING 200 FEET OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 1/4 MILE WITH FOG, WIND CALM. AT 0641 EDT (2 MIN AFTER THE ACDNT), THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO ZERO. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 25, THE AIRPLANE REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FEET. IT THEN CRASHED INTO WOODED TERRAIN ABOUT 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTER LINE & ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE AIRPORT CENTER. IT WAS IN A STEEP LEFT BANK, WHEN IT CRASHED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE PLANE WAS FOUND, THOUGH IT WAS NEARLY CONSUMED BY POST-IMPACT FIRE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.